Gordon Smith Jr.

Midland Police Department — Midland, TX

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch November 28, 1961

Age 41

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

The Vigil Panel 96 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 3

Incident

Lieutenant Gordon Smith was shot and killed while chasing a sexual assault and murder suspect. The suspect jumped a fence and waited on the other side. As the officers used a barrel to climb over the fence the suspect shot Lieutenant Smith in the chest with a .357 caliber revolver he had taken from a deputy sheriff. Although mortally wounded, Lieutenant Smith was able to return fire with his Thompson 45 submachine gun and killed the suspect. Lieutenant Smith was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of WWII and had been wounded twice in action while serving in the Pacific. He had served with the Midland Police Department for 15 years and had previously served with the Sherman Police Department for seven years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, five children, and father.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-A86F30CF
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Gordon is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Lieutenant Smith gave the Midland Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Midland community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Midland Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Midland, TX

Platform Identity mpd.midland.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 28, 1961

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Gordon Smith Jr. served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Lieutenant Gordon Smith Jr. is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,461 of 2,422 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Midland Police Department, 3 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.

Midland Police Department

of 4 officers

75% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,461

of 2,422 officers

60.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious